


The Exalted Guard

by Dragonguide34



Category: Exalted, Five Nights at Freddy's, White Wolf
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-30 06:41:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8522539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonguide34/pseuds/Dragonguide34
Summary: The Solar Exalted. The Lawgivers. Created to be able to bring down the gods themselves, run entire countries single handedly, and crush continents with a flick of the wrist. In order to become a Solar, you must do something great. You must lay down your life, to do what is right. And that, is exactly what Mike Schmidt has done. But, can he handle the weight of the Great Curse?





	1. Exaltation

"That's forty times now," the guard said as he struck his lighter again. A small flame was sparked in the dark shadows of the hallway. The red and black tiled floors felt cold underneath him, as he sat with his legs crossed indian style. He let the Zippo match lighter wink out.

Darkness.

He struck it.

Light was cast across the intersection, as the children's drawings on the left, right, and front walls were illuminated. The man was jerked forward a little, but not by much, as three hard bangs sounded from the door at his back.

A muffled voice shouted, "You can't do this man! Please! Just let me out!."

The man scooted back up against the door. At night, it never seemed to be locked, or even have a door handle. It was just a massive slab of metal that read 'Parts and Services'. "I'm sorry, but it's better me than you," the night watchman said as he squashed the flame again with his metal lighter top. His ragged, torn, white shirt with black tie seemed to be the only bright spot as his long, black pants, in the same condition as his shirt, perfectly merged with the darkness.

He struck the lighter.

Down the front hallway, he saw the faintest hint of movement. To some, a small brown blur would simply be considered a trick of the eyes. But, this night guard knew better, "Here they come. Yo, what's the time?"

Three more forceful raps, "Please, don't do this!" There was a hint of a sob coming from the slightly feminine voice behind the door.

The guard put the flame out, "What. Is. The. Time?"

There was a brief silence followed by a noise that sounded a bit like crying, "...5:45."

The man took a deep breath, and then let it out, "Then, I'll just have to keep em back for 20 minutes."

He struck the flame.

This time, there was no question. There was something standing in the front hallway. Something big, brown, and in need of some serious repairs. The man slowly turned his head and the flame to the left and right hallways. Down the left hallway was one long purple ear that drooped to the right side, with a long right arm that ended in wires, making it look akin to a claw. Down the right path wasn't much, just a white bib that seemed to be fused into a yellow body. It read 'Let's Eat!'

The man killed the flame, then stood up. His legs were sore from sitting in the same position, but they moved. His arms popped as he used them to push himself off the floor, but they were ready to be used when needed. His back hurt from keeping the door closed against the occupant's relentless assaults, but he would hold it shut for as long as was needed. He grabbed his trusty flashlight in his right hand, and took his left, which still held the lighter, and pulled his hat so that the flap faced the front. The cap was a symbol of his position at the restaurant. Along with the badge, it identified him as one of the night guards for the Pizzeria, under contract to protect it from any attempts at violating the law, in or around the establishment. Plus, it kept his rather unruly black, coarse, hair under control, and looked pretty sweet too.

He knew that his flashlight only had a limited amount of power left. He had been using it a lot since he got here. Having no doors to close really left him with little options in way of making sure his skin stayed out of one those suits. He figured he'd lucked out when he heard about that glitch in the machines, where light rapidly flashed at one would freeze a bot in place for a time. He quickly realized, that didn't mean that one flash was enough to stop them for any amount of time. He knew that he would probably only be able to freeze two of them before the third got him.

It was better than going out like a punk.

He lit the flame.

"Well, it's about time you three got here." Mike Schmidt, night guard for the Freddy Fazbear Pizzeria, stood facing the three animatronics that had been making his life a living hell for the past 2 months now.

The last time Mike had seen the robots(or "jerkass-bots" as he liked to call them) they didn't look all that impressive. There were wires that you could see from an entire hallway down sticking out of them, their bodies seemed to have something caked onto(and into) them(he didn't know what), and there were pizza stains here and there on their fur. But, compared to how they looked now, that was them in their Hey-Day.

Bonnie seemed to be the worst of the three. He body seemed to be constantly bending at an angle, giving the idea that he walked with a limp. His right arm was still intact, and functional Mike saw when Bonnie seemed to close his paw into a fist and then open it up again. In stark contrast, Bonnie's entire left arm was missing, which might explain why he was favoring his right side. Oh, he also didn't have a face. Yeah, no face, yet he was still moving like a fucking zombie. Mike thought it might have something to do with the glowing red eyes that constantly showed, but he doubt just those and a lower jaw could keep an entire robot body moving.

Chica was somewhere in the between normal and completely scrapped. The only real damage that could be seen was where her face and beak were. It looked as if someone had grabbed the top and bottom parts of her beak, and ripped them apart. Mike cursed a bit in his head, he had wanted to do that. Other than that, and the weird wires that run along her body making her look like a puppet, she hadn't changed a bit.

And then, there was Freddy. Mike didn't know where Foxy was, but he was pretty sure that Freddy cheated him out of some kind of deal. Where the older Bonnie, Chica, and the aforementioned fox all seemed like they just got pulled out of a dumpster, Freddy looked, at least half way decent. His body, arms, hands, feet, and even his head looked almost exactly same from the last time Mike saw him, and considering that Mike was from the future that's saying something. The only hint that he was in disrepair, was how his arms and legs seemed to be separated in certain places. It made the big bear look like he was cut to pieces by a blender, on high.

"So, which one of you will be the one to do me in, huh?" Mike looked each of the animatronics in the eyes, showing that he wasn't afraid. He didn't care if they stabbed him, ripped him apart, stuffed him in a suit, or whatever it was they did to the guards they had managed to catch. He was either gonna go down fighting, or take one of them down with him. Mike flicked his eyes between the big three, looking at them as well as trying to see behind them. He didn't know where Foxy or the Toy animatronics were, and that's what worried him. Unlike when he worked alone as a night guard, these animatronics were smart enough to go through the vents to get ya. He couldn't remember if there were any vents in the parts room, but if there were… Mike chose not to think about it.

Above all, his primary concern was the fucking Puppet. Since no one was in the office, the music box would just keep going until it wound down. Then, the box would open, and that demon would be let loose. Even when he looked at that overgrown doll during the day, it creeped him the fuck out. Mike had always had a sneaking suspicion(confirmed when he first took this god-forsaken job) about these furry-bots, but that-thing was something entirely different. He felt like it knew more than a simple AI should know, almost like it was sentient. That was a thought that really scared Mike.

He didn't see the Marionette fucker at all, but that may have been just because it was dark. Even so-

It was the sound that saved him more than anything else. The unmistakable whine of circuitry and gears working to bring something to bear. Mike had heard it every night he had spent at this hellhole. He was glad that he had committed the sound to memory, as he felt Bonnie's claw gives his left side burn a bit of a trim. His dodge was sloppy, hastily made, and left him wide open for much longer than he wanted. It wasn't a very graceful move, but it afforded him the opening he needed. Nearly falling to the floor from the effort put into the dodge, Mike pulled up the flashlight and flashed it across Bonnie's face.

That glitch in the system had saved both Mike and his co-worker from Foxy's jump attacks countless times, and it is what he used to his advantage now. The hallway was lit up for a couple of seconds as he moved the flashlight across Chica's face. He gave her two quick flashes, bringing himself upright as he did. His light cast across Freddy's frame, showing a massive brown fist coming right at the security guard.

Fist fighting had been apart of Mike's life for as long as he could remember. He had faced down school bullies, street toughs, and the occasional mugger in the dark alley way. He didn't win all of those fights, but he never let it be said he didn't give a good account of himself. For every bruise he left with, his opponents left with ten more. And, even though Mike knew his physical prowess could never match up with the unlimited power of the metal monster Freddy was, he sure as fuck was not going down without a fight.

The light on the Zippo was out, as Mike brought his left fist up in a hook to meet the big bear's right hook. Mike closed his eyes, waiting for the pain that would be his end.

The building was filled with the sound of metal being wrenched from its place. The scream of gears, circuits, and steel coming apart reminded Mike of the time he saw a Mustang crash into a thirteen wheeler. The wheeler hadn't seen the car coming, and slammed right into it's left side. The sports car was completely mangled, totaled beyond repair. Mike figured that was what his left arm looked like right about now.

What puzzled him was, he wasn't on the ground screaming in agony. In fact, he could still feel his left arm, and the cold metal of the lighter in the closed fist. Mike thought, 'Maybe the impact was so strong, I immediately, and am on the floor in a coma of sorts?' Yeah, that seemed like the most reasonable answer at the time.

Mike really wished that was the actual answer as he opened his eyes, and beheld something impossible. Not only was his left arm completely intact, and looked none the worse for ware from the attack. Not only was the place where Freddy's arm used to be reduced to a stump of broken wires, cut circuitry, and sparking electricity. Not only was he still standing, and not feeling any pain at all in any part of his body.

His left arm was glowing so bright that it was illuminating the entire hallway.

Mike could only say one thing in response, "THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?"


	2. Destruction

The Box was his home. The Box was where he slept. The Box was where all the little kids came to visit him for presents and prizes. The Box was the first thing he remembered seeing when he woke up.

The Box was boring.

He had never liked The Box, with it's red and white stripes on the outside, and cold darkness inside. He constantly hoped for a day when they would let him out of here. That way, he could be with all his friends during the day. He could play with all the kids who loved him, and maybe fix up Mangle. That would be so cool, if it was ever gonna happen.

When he was in there, he felt blind. He didn't know what his friends were doing, if they were making any progress, or if the Purple Man had been caught yet. The only thing that he was sure of, was the music. The same old song that constantly played over and over again. Night after night he was lulled to sleep by the incessant music. It annoyed him. It made him angry. He wanted it GONE.

However, this night was different. Normally, the infernal sound was constantly reset by whatever hapless human happened to be assigned the nightshift. But he could tell the music was winding down to it's final note, and nothing was stopping it. Either the fools had forgotten to wind it up, or they were caught by one of the others. Then again it didn't matter.

'You don't look a gift horse in the mouth, after all,' the Marionette thought to himself, as the music hit it's final note. If his mask wasn't already fixed into a permanent smile, he would be smiling now as he pushed the lid off of his cramped prison with gusto. He lifted himself out of the box, and rocketed down the halls.

'You're mine now, fools!' the Puppet shot through the halls like a laser guided missile, hell bent on reaching the office. He was out, at long last, and he wasn't going back in tonight. No, he was gonna make sure no one put him back in until the morning. Those guards have no idea…..where were the night guards?

This was the office where the guard was supposed to be posted right? The orange tiled floors and walls, the square vents on the left and right side of the room, the massive main door right in front of the desk, the metal desk, with swivel chair, cooling fan, tablet...yes, this was it. All Fazbear night guards were required to be posted here until 6:00 am. The Puppet looked at the clock, it was only about….5:46! He didn't have as much time as he thought!

He resolved to figure out why the guard wasn't in the office later, as he heard the distinctive 'click-click' of a flashlight being switched on and off. The Marionette slowly began to float his way down the dark hallways of the restaurant. No need to rush their demise after all, especially if the others had at least one of them cornered. The Puppet could certainly sympathize. There was something specifically weird about that second guard, Mike, he thought his name was. It's not every night that two employees are put together on the same work shift, at the same time, on the same nig-

The Marionette shooks it's head. There would be time to think about that later. He was coming up on the area he had heard the clicking sound come from. Keeping to the shadows, he crept his head around the wall…...and if he could drop his jaw, it would be banging on the floor right now.

To say Mike was shocked would be an understatement.

"What the hell…." he spoke out loud to no one in particular.

There was a rapid knock on the door, "Mike, what happened?"

"To be honest Jeremy, I don't know." Mike knew he shouldn't just stand there like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, but what else could he do?! He had literally punched through solid metal and wires, without a scratch put on him. And that golden glow was more than a little disconcerting, even though it had gone away by now.

It took Mike a bit, but he suddenly realized that Freddy, Bonnie and Chica were still standing right in front of him. Looking up, he saw Freddy examining his arm, well, the mess of wires and broken metal that used to be his arm. Now, Mike knew that robots couldn't show any kind of emotion in their face except for the ones plastered on by whoever the heck made them. And he also knew that robots couldn't actually have any kind of feelings whatsoever. However, by looking at Freddy's face, he was pretty sure the old bear was having a couple of conflicting emotions.

Confusion, from the fact that Mike had just done what was universally considered impossible.

Surprise, from the fact that what Mike did had actually worked.

And anger, from the fact that he had just lost his right arm.

How did Mike know that, because that was exactly what he was feeling about himself right now. Except replace anger with a small sense of pride.

'How in The Virgin Mary's name did I do that?' Mike was not religious, he just needed a colorful curse. 'Seriously! There is no logical way I should've been able to do that, and that's coming from a time traveller! The only way for something like this to happen and make sense is…...that's it!'

While Mike was having his revelation, Freddy began showing the missing appendage to his partners. The chicken and bunny didn't really see the problem. Freddy was still functional, and as such their mission was the same: Kill the night guard. Bonnie did however raise his missing arm up to show the group, as if to say that he and Freddy were brothers now.

The three child entertainers turned their gaze back to Mike, who was having a massive giggle fit. Confused, but not the least bit intimidated, Bonnie lunged at Mike. Just as Bonnie's claw reached Mike's face, Mike grabbed it mid-air.

He lifted up Bonnie's arm, which lifted the animatronic with it. Once the robot was well above his head, Mike looked up at Bonnie, with a manic grin on his face. His eyes were narrow, and as he held up the bunny with his right hand, he looked down at the closed fist that was his left hand. The silver Zippo lighter was still intact, even after the impact from Freddy's fist. Mike balled up his left hand, and kissed the knuckles.

Bonnie only had one moment to process the information his system was currently receiving, when Mike's fist connected with his stomach. Then his face.

Bonnie shot across the hallway, only stopping when he collided with Freddy, who happened to be in the projectile rabbit's path. The only thing that stopped Freddy from falling over, was the fact the servos in his legs worked overtime to keep the bear standing.

Mike's crazy smile, wide enough to cover his entire face, was still on as he observed his handy work. "I get it now!" he yelled out, loud enough to echo across the dark building. "This is all just a dream! And if this is a dream, then I can do WHATEVER I WANT TO! And what I want to do right now, is rip and tear you animatronic bastards, until the only thing you'll be good for is the scrap heap!"

Unbeknownst to Mike, his eyes had taken on a golden glow, as his set them on his prey.


	3. Daylight

The new Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria had three party rooms. They were all just about identical. Same number of tables, same polka dotted table coverings, same plain grey walls. All three had balloons and streamers covering the floors and ceilings from previous occupants. Each one had been used in its own time for a party or special occasion at one point. Despite this, each one had retained its plain old, boring aesthetics.

Mike chokeslamming Freddy through the other side of the wall added a bit of flavor to the whole room.

Mike, golden aura shimmering around him, picked Freddy up by his neck. The bear tried to crush Mike's arm with his remaining hand, but his mechanical might seemed to do nothing except wrinkle Mike's sleeve. Mike brought his right hand up, fingers closed in a tight fist. He gave Freddy a hard right hook, making sure to let him go at the moment his fist made contact with Fazbear's jaw. The singer flew across the room, all the way to the stage where the Toy animatronics would be. Freddy landed on the wooden stage, a resounding CRASH following in his wake.

"That was for all the guards you things have killed up to this point, you bastard!" Mike walked through the hole in the wall, thinking nothing of how he just smashed through a wall, and started up to the downed bear. Just as Mike made it to the center of the room, the sound of metal hitting floor tiles met his ears. He spun on his heels, catching Foxy off guard and by the scruff of what little fur the pirate had left. Using Foxy's own momentum he slammed the fox on to the floor of the restaurant. Mike raised his foot up, and then jumped back towards the tables. Something had told him to move, and he was glad he had.

The Mangle. Originally it was supposed to be the Toy replacement for Foxy, proven by its fox head, and hook for a claw. However, once the kids got a hold of it, they started taking it apart again and again. Now, it's just an mixed match tangle of wires with a second head always hovering close by it's main one. Mike looked at the monstrosity, as it seemed to hang over Foxy, protecting him maybe. Foxy brought himself upright quickly and stared Mike down, seemingly unafraid of Mike's new glow.

The sound of Mike cracking his neck echoed through the room, "Sorry captain, but this here be a mutiny!" Mike dashed across the floor, a golden blur in the dim light of the building, his right fist held back. He brought it to bear, and punched a clean hole through Foxy's chest. Not done yet, Mike lifted Foxy up and slammed him down on top of Mangle. The sound of metal crashing against metal filled the air, as Mike brought his Foxy Hammer down upon Mangle again and again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

"Mike, stop!" Mike's arm stopped mid swing, as he looked around. That had sounded like-

"Mike, it's 6:00AM! We can leave!" Jeremy ran over to Mike's right side, showing him the time on his watch. Mike, coming down from the adrenaline surging through him, looked at his improvised weapon. If Foxy wasn't broken before, he definitely was now. Oil flowed from every part of the destroyed body staining the floor black. Foxy's head had fallen off sometime during the onslaught, and rolled around the tiles, eyes still open, but vacant. Mangle was worse off, nearly all of her wires were crushed into thin tubes. Her porcelain face was now riddled with cracks, making her look like an old doll. The oil from Foxy's body mixed with the deluge from Mangle's, a robot crime scene.

Mike shook the captain off of his arm, sending the body crashing a few feet from it's head. The glow began to fade, as he turned towards Jeremy, "Dude! What are you doing out?! I told you to stay in the parts and service-" it was then that Mike felt like his heart had stopped.

Mike fell forward, and Jeremy strained to keep him upright, "Mike! Oh man! This is so bad!" Jeremy looked around at the carnage. They would both probably be fired for this, or worse sent to prison for destroying company property. Jeremy ran a hand through his shaggy blonde hair, "Oh! What am I supposed to do?"

Leave.

Jeremy's piercing blue eyes looked around in shock. The voiced seemed to have come from everywhere at once, but he couldn't see anyone. "Who, who said that?! Show yourself!" Jeremy was trembling, he didn't know what was going on.

The Marionette descended from the ceiling right next to Foxy's head. He picked it up, cradling it like a mother would her own child.

Leave.

Jeremy was sure of it this time. The Marionette had spoken. But that was impossible! These things weren't capable of speech! At least, he was pretty sure they weren't. Carrying the unconscious Mike, whose feet dragged on the ground as Jeremy moved, he took a cautious step towards the Marionette. Making sure not to slip on the Oil, Jeremy swallowed loudly, "I'm, s-s-sorry to a-a-ask, but did-d-d y-y-you just…...speak to me?"

Leave.

"What was-"

LEAVE!

Jeremy was out of there faster than greased lightning.

The Marionette moved the pirate's head around in his elongated fingers. There was extensive damage to the pirate on every level. The Puppet shook his head, it seemed that guard had a flair for decapitation. Chica and Bonnie were in just about the same condition as Foxy was, Bonnie had even lost his only remaining arm. Freddy, who had been stuck between some of the stage boards, walked over to the Marionette. He looked at Foxy's head and body, then back to the Puppet.

Freddy didn't need a processing chip to tell that his friends needed some serious repairs. Repairs that only the humans who came during the day could give them. So, he grabbed Foxy's body with his remaining paw, and went into the hallway. As the first ray's of sunlight began to pour through the windows, Freddy looked out into the hallway. He saw Toy Bonnie and Toy Chica, looking down upon their predecessors. He left them to their own functions as he carried the captain's body into the parts and services room.

The Puppet followed soon after, holding Foxy's head in one hand, and Mangle's body in the other. The two Toy's gathered up Bonnie and Chica's bodies and craniums, and followed after their leader.

'I don't know what the Hell happened with that night guard," the Marionette thought as he laid Foxy's body up against the wall, 'but I don't really care. He just declared war. And while we may just be entertainers, we can be very dangerous when we want to be.'

'So you better count your blessings Schmidt, because they won't save you from us.'

"So, why don't you start from the beginning, Mr. Fitzgerald?" Jeremy squirmed under the cold gaze of his boss. The fact that the current Mr. Fazbear seemed to favor the intimidating mob boss look didn't help at all. His black fedora, black suit and tie, and pressed pants put Jeremy's working uniform to shame.

"Well, y-y-you see, sir," Jeremy began until his Mr. Fazbear raised up a hand for silence.

"Don't stutter, boy. It is….unbecoming of you."

Jeremy wasn't sure if his boss didn't just use big words to sound smart, or just instill fear. If it was the latter, it was working. Jeremy started to wring his black hat in his hands, "Me and Mike had come to work as usual. Nothing really happened at first. It just seemed like a normal night. And then…." Jeremy trailed off.

Jeremy saw one of his boss' eyebrows rise a bit. Jeremy felt so small sitting there with his ragged white shirt and pants, identical to Mike's uniform. He had just entered the establishment when his boss called him into his office. Jeremy looked around the office, hoping to find something else to focus on besides the Undertaker sitting in front of him. His boss' office always reminded Jeremy of a B rated Noir movie, right down to the partially closed curtains that made the light in the room look like slits, or the big metal desk that his boss was sitting behind.

Mr. Fazbear picked up a pencil, "And then…?" he began to move it between his fingers.

Jeremy gulped down some fresh spit, "And then….everything went to Hell. The anima-" Jeremy shut himself up right there. The contract he signed required that he not mention what happens during the night, no matter what. Even in the confines of the boss' office, he was to act with the utmost secrecy.

Getting his words together, Jeremy continued, "I mean, THEY started to get super aggressive. Like more than usual. We tried to keep them back, but then they did the unthinkable."

"And that would be?" Mr. Fazbear said, rubbing the eraser on his desk.

"Three of them came into the office AT THE SAME TIME! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! I THOUGHT THOSE THINGS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE-"

"Mr. Fitzgerald," Mr. Fazbear spoke with an edge to his voice that got Jeremy to sit back down and shut up, "I think you need to learn how to control your voice." With the employee properly shamed, Fazbear said, "Now, continue."

"R-r-right," Jeremy said, stuttering subconsciously, "So three of them came in to the office. I thought we were gonna die, but then Mike he…..he picked up his chair and threw it at them. Then he grabbed me by my collar and ran. I don't remember much after that, except for when Mike dropped me into the parts and service room. Mike blocked the door with his body so that I couldn't get out. He said he was gonna hold them back so that I could get out alive.

Then I started hearing noises outside the door, like the sound of crashing metal. I tried to open the door, but every time I did, Mike would shut it back. Then, I heard metal footsteps leading away from the door and then human ones following after them. I guessed Mike had abandoned his post, so I pushed open the door. What awaited me, was a something straight out of a slasher film. Two of them were on the ground, both of their heads torn off by some massive blow. Their bodies were so broken that I could see the oil and circuitry that made them run. I stared in awe at the carnage, then I heard more crashing sounds. Just as I prepared to run to the commotion, the 6:00AM alarm sounded.

I felt so much joy at that moment, that I'm pretty sure I would've ran out the door if I could. But, I knew I had to save Mike first. So I ran into the main party room and…." Once Jeremy related the rest of the story, he stared at his boss trying to find some hint of an emotion. He found none.

"Well, my son, I believe what you experienced was a merely a trick of the eyes. More than likely brought about by too many restless nights." Jeremy's jaw was agape as he stared blankly at his boss.

"However, you needn't worry about sleep anymore, for you'll be able to sleep as much as you want, because I'm-" The door to the room opened as if on cue.

"Sorry I'm late boss. Woke up with one heck of a headache," Mike said as he entered the room. Mike scratched his hair and yawned before setting his gaze on the two other bodies in the room. "What, what is it?"

Jeremy was staring at Mike, his eyes communicating complete disbelief, while Mr. Fazbear seemed to be staring at Mike in awe. In fact, if Mike didn't know better, he'd say that they were staring at him as if he was Jesus recently reborn.

Mike put his hand to his face a felt around, "Is something on my face? Did I forget to clean up after eating one of the shitty pizzas here again?"

"Mike," Jeremy said after a few moments of Mike searching his face for something that wasn't there, "What is up with your….everything?!"


	4. A Little Talk

Mike raised his eyebrow, "My everything?"

"Your everything?!" Jeremy sounded surprised, what for Mike didn't know, "You look like you're….glowing." It was true, there seemed to be some kind of 'aura' around Mike that lit up the rather dark office.

"Thanks Jere, I should get you a soda for that," Mike sat down in the chair next to Jeremy, putting his feet up on the table. Surprisingly, his boss didn't seem to mind. "However, right now you need to clear up what happened last night for the boss and me."

"That's exactly what I was doing until you- wait! What do you mean for the boss and you?!" Jeremy looked at Mike like he had grown a third head. "You mean you don't remember anything that happened last night?!'

Mike shook his head, "Nope. Last thing I remember is three of the fuckers surrounding me, then I blacked out and had this weird dream."

"Dream? What dream?"

Mike took his feet off the desk and leaned forward, "Ok, so there I was, about to meet my Maker at the hands of those furry fags, when BAM I start glowing gold and punch straight through the bear's arm! At first I'm like 'The Fuck was that!?' Then I realized it was a dream, and I started going HAM on those motherfuckers!"

"HAM, Mike?"

"Hard As A Motherfucker. Duh," Mike softly slapped Jeremy on the back of the head, causing him to fall forward a bit. He caught himself and looked at Mike with annoyance. Mike ignored him, "So, anyway, I rushed at the bastards and started ripping into them. I tear the chicken's and the rabbit's heads off, and shove the bear through a wall! At which point, Yiffy the Pirate and his sister, Yifferella, came at me(heh heh) and I shoved my fist through the captain's chest.

I then began to use him as a hammer on the girl fox until they both stopped resembling foxes. Then you came in Jeremy, I passed out again, and I woke up at home. That's my story and I'm sticking to it."

Jeremy was looking at Mike with his mouth wide open, "You've got to be kidding me. Is that what happened last night?! Were you on drugs or something!?"

Mike looked at Jeremy with a blank look, "You know I don't do that kind of stuff, Jere. And besides it was just a dream."

"No it wasn't! You must've did that, because that is exactly what I saw when I walked out of the closet!"

"Eh, probably just a coincidence. More than likely they all tripped or something."

"That sounds completely-"

"Reasonable, Mr. Schmidt," Jeremy stared at his boss in disbelief. His boss, had just said that what Mike said was completely reasonable, "It is obvious that Mr. Fitzgerald has been exaggerating the events that transpired last night."

"No I'm not! Why are you taking his side on this!"

"Because, Jere, it's the only feasible answer. I mean, do you seriously think that I could punch a robot's arm off of it's body?" both Mike and Mr. Fazbear had a massive laugh at Jeremy's expense. Jeremy looked between the two men.

'What is going on here?!' He thought as they laughed. 'A minute ago, he was busting my balls. Now Mike comes in and he completely switches gears? The Hell?'

Mr. Fazbear finished laughing as he wiped a tear from his eye, "Oh yes, quite hilarious. Well, it is obvious that neither of you are at fault, so both of you just return to your post. We'll pay for any damages caused, and make sure the customers are pacified."

Mike stood up, and offered his hand, which the manager shook enthusiastically, "Thanks man. Me and Jere'll get back to it." Mike let go of his boss' hand and nodded towards the door. Jeremy, still distraught at the turn of events, walked through it in a trance.

"Oh yes, and Mike, can I call you Mike? I was planning on having a dinner with my family tonight at 8:00. Would you like to come?"

"Only if I can bring Jeremy. He's my bro, and I don't leave bros behind."

"Of course, you can bring as many people as you like. I won't mind at all."

"Sweet, see ya later," and with that, Mike walked out the door with a very confused Jeremy in tow.

Cindy was had just turned 5 years old. It was her birthday today.

All of her friends were there, and her favorite Aunt.

They had Pepperoni pizza and chocolate cake, her favorites.

She even got to see her favorite band of animals play on stage.

She was the apple of her family's eye.

She was crying in a corner of the Prize room.

The Puppet knew, he could hear her through his box.

And it was tearing him up inside.

He could make a good guess as to what it was. Her first day at school is tomorrow probably. And, as usual for kids, she didn't want to go. She didn't know anyone there, she didn't want to leave home, ect. He would know, he used to be that way. At least, he was pretty sure he did.

He shook his head, no time for a trip down memory lane. There was a child in pain, sitting in front of him! He needed to help her, isn't that what he was made for? Why he did what he did every night? So, he began to open the top of the box, carrying a Freddy Fazbear Teddy Bear with him. Just when he crested the top of the box, he saw him.

Mike Schmidt, the Security Guard.

He was walking right towards Cindy.

The Marionette knew he needed to do something.

But….why couldn't he move?

He never hesitated to charge at Mike before. In fact, just last night, he had revealed his ability to speak to the other guard. He was a machine, and though he had a small concept of "feelings", he knew that one thing he could never feel was fear.

But then why was he staring in awe at this stupid, glowing, human? Wait, glowing?

Mike bent down so he was eye level with the girl, "Hey there kiddo. What's your name?"

She was wearing a pink dress with lots of bunnies and frills on it. The sleeves were soaked through, from the crying probably, and her face was partly covered with strands of her long brown hair. Her puffy green eyes stared at Mike intently listening to every word he said. Mike saw how he was reflected with a golden aura around him in the child's eyes. He mentally shrugged. Probably a trick of the light.

"C-C-Cindy," she said, her voice barely above a squeak.

"Cindy, huh," Mike tilted his head and smiled, "Sounds like the name of a Disney Princess."

Cindy blushed a bit, and looked at the ground. She seemed to suddenly gain a lot of interest in her feet.

"Now tell me, why is the Princess crying?" Mike liked kids, they were so innocent. They didn't have to worry about the darkness behind the world. And he knew it was his job to keep it like that. "It's not very becoming of Royalty."

"My-My-mommy said, I have to l-l-leave home and….."

"Go to Elementary School tomorrow?"

Cindy looked up at Mike in surprise. "H-How did you-"

"Know that?" Mike finished for her, standing up from his position, "Because I went through the same thing when I was your age. My mom was gonna make me go to school, and I didn't want to leave my friends and family. I did everything I could to delay the day I had to go. Illness, nose bleed, even tried to bribe my mom with my petty allowance. No dice.

So, I went to school, and you wanna know what happened? I liked it. I made friends, I made enemies, and then my mom got me at 3:00, and that was it. School is not something to be afraid of, it's just an obstacle like everything else. And besides…." Mike looked from side to side, and then bent down so he could whisper in Cindy's ear, "If you promise to give it a try, I'll convince your mom to get you ice-cream after school."

Mike winked at Cindy, and her mood immediately brightened. She started jumping up and down saying, "I promise! I promise!" And then she ran out the room.

Mike smiled after her, then his face became serious. He turned around and looked at the not yet free, Puppet Fucker. He walked close to the machine, and looked it straight in its empty eyes. He's not sure why he thought this thing was scary in the first place. Why did he think this thing was a threat to him. All it was, was a mechanical murder, who has killed countless guards before Mike got here. And he was gonna stop it.

"I know what you are, you piece of shit," his voice was completely calm as he addressed the murderous being, "I know that you're not just some normal bot. In that head of yours, there's a brain. And that brain is thinking, thinking and waiting. Waiting for its chance to get out and hurt these innocent people.

Well just to let you know, you're gonna have to go through me first. And believe me, I don't die easy," with that, Mike walked out of the Prize room and down the hallway.

As he walked, Mike paused for a second. He looked around, and spotted Vincent sweeping the floors nearby. Mike looked at him for a moment, before continuing on his way to Cindy's parents. He's not sure why, but when he looked at Vincent, he felt a very strong urge to punch the guy so hard in the nuts that his Great Great Grandchildren would feel it.

The weirdest part was, he felt like he could actually do it.

As easily as snapping a twig.

The Puppet was sitting in it's box, doing the one thing that it always does when it has a moment to itself.

Think.

And one thought permeated it's mind, more than anything else.

'What the fuck was up that Schmidt guy's eyes? Why'd they flash gold like that?'

'...and why do I suddenly feel like I want to apologize for all the guards I've killed?'


	5. Dayshift

'It just doesn't add up,' Jeremy grabbed another pizza from the oven and handed it to one of the waiters to take. The...girl took the pie and started to walk back into Party Room 1. There were so many people working at the restaurant at this point, that Jeremy had lost many a name to time. The only reason he could remember Mike is because they were always together for the Night Shift. Everyone else might as well have just been side characters in a video game to him.

Especially when he was still trying to make sense of both last night and this morning. 'It didn't make any sense,' he thought, taking down another order as if one auto-pilot. 'If, as crazy as it is, Mike's story has any credibility, then he pulled off something only possible in superhero comic books!

Not only that, but what was up with Mr. Fazbear? He pulled a complete 180 the minute Mike walked in the room! Speaking of which,' while putting a new pizza into one of the ovens, Jeremy glanced over to where "Super Mike" was.

Mike was currently standing in front of the "Family of the Day." Basically, the family who paid big bucks to have a big party for their kid today. And talk about a big group! There were about 10 adults and like 18 kids! Jeremy had to respect the parents of whoever this was for, they really went all out! He had to guess that they could afford it, if the man in the business suit giving Mike his complete attention was anything to go on.

Speaking of which, the whole table seemed to be giving Mike their undivided attention. Jeremy raised his eyebrow, handing another waiter a fresh pizza and soda. 'Why the heck are they all looking at Mike? Is is the glowing?' Now normally, this wouldn't really be much of a big deal.

Except for the fact that the kids are giving Mike all of their attention too.

...And the fact that they are all standing right in front of the stage where the Toy Animatronics are.

Fazbear has a pretty big soft spot for kids, which is part of the reason why he paid the extra dollar to give the Toy Animatronics that criminal database thing. As such, all employees are required to make sure that the children are completely and utterly safe at every time of the day. Thankfully though, most of the children are in the room where the robots are, mystified by the way they sing and dance.

So, why is it that every single last child has stopped to listen to Mike?

"Hey, Jeramole."

And how come everyone seeme to only do this with Mike? The last time he tried to talk to a customer, they just waved him off.

"Hey! Earth to sissy britches!"

And why-

"JEREMY IF YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO ME, I SWEAR TO GOD-"

The clatter of dishes followed as Jeremy jumped up in surprise. He winced as a fresh out of the oven pizza fell to the ground, landing crust side down. Jeremy's hands went to his rather ruffled hair and squeezed, "Oh no. Not again."

A man, Vincent Jeremy figured, looked over Jeremy's shoulder, "Well….your pay's getting docked. Again."

Jeremy looked at Vincent, "Why did you s-s-scream at me?!" He was really only asking to be polite. He's pretty sure Vince would take any moment to yell at him. That guy is like a bully, a big, purple, bully.

Crossing his arms over his purple uniform (Why did he have that on anyway? No one else here wore purple! Not even Fritz!) and frowned...or smiled….Jeremy could never tell which, "It's 3:00. Time for you and your butt buddy over there to go home." Vincent pointed his thumb at Mike, who was shaking hands with the father and mother of the family.

I tried to tell ya, but you seemed to space out while looking at McGlowing over there. What, were you imagining the things he's gonna do to you tonight?" Vincent hit Jeremy on the back of the head, laughing as the smaller man knelt down in a panic to pick up his fallen hat.

Jeremy waved his hands in a gesture of rebuttal, "W-w-what?! No! No! Of course not! I was just-urgh-nevermind. So, my shift's over then?" Jeremy had long since gotten used to Vincent's constant abuse (especially since Mike was there to keep the other guard in check) and had learned to not even try to argue with the man. It was like arguing with an extremely hostile brick wall.

"Yep, so if you don't mind, scram!" Vincent points his thumb behind him for emphasis. "Oh, yeah, and tell that walking night light that if he hangs out with the kids too much people are gonna think he's a-"

"Does it make you feel big, Vincent?"

Both men wince. The previously nonchalant atmosphere had just become extremely oppressive. It was as if someone had just angered the boss, and he was going on a firing spree. They looked to their left, and there stood Mike Schmidt with his hands in his pockets, glowering at Vincent.

"Does it make you feel good? To just berate people like that?" Jeremy gulped. Mike didn't usually sound like this. Sure, he did always have a problem with Vincent, but he never let it show at work. The worst he did was make passive aggressive comments towards his fellow employee. However, now...Jeremy could feel actual malice in those words.

And worst of all-intent.

Vincent, though he tried to hid in by standing tall, was visibly shaken by what Mike said. Jeremy could tell, even as the other man said, "What's it to you?"

"It's not polite. And, it bothers other people," Mike leaned in to Vince, making sure they were eye to eye, "Including me."

"You've never had a problem with my 'comments' before. So why now? Did I happen to hit a nerve today, or," Vince smile looked like a snake's when it was moving in for a kill, "or did I happen to hit on some truth back-urk!"

Jeremy's mouth fell open as Mike began to hoist Vincent up by the throat with one hand. Jeremy ran over and grabbed Mike by the arm, "Mike! What are you doing?!"

"I could kill him Jeremy. I could kill him right fucking now, and stop him from doing something horrible." Mike's voice was as cold as ice.

Jeremy kept pulling on Mike's arm, but he couldn't seem to move it. What was Mike made of, solid stone? "How do you know that he's gonna do anything even slightly horrible?!" How come nobody was calling the police or something?! Jeremy didn't want Mike to go to jail, but someone need to do something!

Mike grit his teeth, "I...I..I just know, OK! I don't know how I know, I just do!"

"And if you're wrong?! You'll have killed an innocent man and gone to jail for it! Please!"

Mike seemed to hesitate for another minute, before he finally let Vincent fall to the ground. As the purple covered man took in ragged breaths, Mike marched out of the resturant.

Jeremy looked at Vincent, and held his hand out to him, "I'm so sorry about-"

Vincent swatted his hand away, "Fuck off, you tool! And tell your fuckbuddy that I plan to press charges against him!"

Jeremy, holding his smarting hand, looked down at the floor. He followed Mike out of the entrance, worrying about his friend.


	6. A Walk and A Plan

"Mike! What the Hell was that?!" a semi-truck with a McDonald's AD sped by as the pair walked side by side down the street. They both still had their uniforms on, thankfully with all of the holes and tears sewn up. Why take them off? They'll be back at the pizzeria at 12:00 AM anyway.

Mike lit up a cigarette as he turned to speak to his friend, "What was what?"

"You know what!"

Mike's hand went to his chin as he thought back on his day, "Me walking in on the boss yelling at you?"

"No."

"My, so called, 'Golden-Glow'?" A puff of smoke accompanied this question.

"No." Jeremy said as he wafted the smoke away from him.

"Hmmmm, what happened with Vincent?"

"Yes! Exactly that!" Jeremy stomped over in front of Mike, causing the bigger man to stop abruptly. Jeremy looked up into Mike's eyes with concern and worry, "Why did you grab him by the throat like that?! You know what you just did right?! You just gave him a reason to get you fired! Do you even realize—"

Jeremy's words were cut off as Mike ruffled the smaller man's hair. The glow that had been around him since this morning seemed to have tapered off after they had gotten outside.

The sun was still out, but it was starting to set in the horizon.

"Don't worry about it," Mike said as he gave the blonde haired man a break, "Vincent doesn't have the guts to get the police on my ass."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't," Mike started walking again, being careful to not knock Jeremy over as he moved on. After straightening his hair, Jeremy caught up to Mike and matched his pace.

However, I am an optimist. And I try my best to look on the bright side of things."

"That's fine, Mike, but what if your wrong and Vincent calls the police on you?"

"Then I'll go with them, and answer any questions they have," the two friends passed by a comic book store where an entire line of men and women fought to get to the front of the line. As Mike passed by, the crowd stopped to watch him move past. They marveled at him, almost like he was a statue made of gold.

If you notice, Jere, you will only ever get in real trouble with the law when you refuse to cooperate." Mike walked by the end of the line, causing the entire procession to erupt into chaos yet again.

Neither men seemed to notice, "But what if you get fined, or worse, thrown in Jail!? You know we can't afford that! We hardly make enough money to feed ourselves!"

Mike waved his hand, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"But—"

A scream, high pitched and nearby rang through the air.

A laugh, low and guttural followed shortly after.

Jeremy stopped, his legs trembling underneath him, "What was—"

He heard a WHOOSH and when he looked to his left, Mike was gone.

Julia was just out of college.

Her breathing was ragged as she ran down the deserted sidewalk. Where was everyone this time of day?!

Her parents had told her that it was a waste of time and money, and that she would be better off getting a rich husband somewhere.

Footsteps moved fast behind her, as her bright green dress fluttered in the breeze.

She told them they could shove it.

She turned down another street, not really caring where she was going. As long as it was away from here!

She had just graduated, and it was almost time for her big day.

But no matter where she went, the sound of footfalls followed behind her.

The day when she finally got her big break, and was hired for her dream job as a journalist.

Her green eyes were puffy from crying so much, wishing that this was just a dream.

If only she hadn't of gone out to get that coffee this morning.

Her energy, even with the adrenaline flowing through her veins, finally ran out as she slowed to a stop in a grassy clearing.

"Nowhere to run now, Julia," Julia's spine felt cold as she turned to face her assailant.

He was a tall man, taller than even Julia at 5 feet in heels. He arms were lanky and thin, but they fell to his sides in a way that made him look ready for any attack. Which he probably was, judging by the serrated knife held in his right, light skinned hand. His shirt, several buttons undone, was stained just like his pants, and he reeked of alcohol.

However, that is not what told Julia who he was. Nor was it the shock of black hair that covered one eye in a sinister fashion.

It was the scar on his cheek where she had cut him once before.

"Chris?! What part of 'restraining order' do you not understand?" Julia yelled at her ex-friend, defiant despite the situation.

Chris' mouth parted in a predatory smile, "Oh Julia, you know I've always been a bad boy," he fingered his knife as he said this.

"I already told you, stay the fuck away from me."

"Now that's not fair Julia," he took a step closer, "we used to be so close in high school."

"No we weren't! You just thought we were in that sick mind of yours!" Julia stepped back, her auburn hair whipping around as she looked for somewhere, anywhere to run. Despite the situation, her eyes still burned with a fury that could not be matched by any fire.

Chris stared into those eyes, and his face lit up with a sneer, "Julia, you know that you shouldn't lie to your boy—"

"Hey man, you're bothering the lady."

Chris span on his heel, knife poised to stab whoever was behind him in the kidneys. He had already been stopped once, he wouldn't let it happen again—

The first indication that something was wrong, was when Chris felt resistance against his knife. He looked down, and saw his hand stopped mid-swing my a muscular hand.

He looked up, and then he felt weightless as a fist connected with his lower jaw.

He saw three things before he blacked out.

First, his knife being held in the hand of a man in a security guard outfit.

Second, the sun setting in the west, as it silhouetted the one who flipped him through the air.

Lastly, the things that he would remember for as long as he lived; those eyes.

Those burning, golden eyes.

The ones that shown with a purpose, a noble purpose.

The type of eyes Chris could only ever dream of having.

Confidence, hope, and more were all reflected in this man's eyes.

No, not a man.

A Demi-God.

And that's the plan, you sure you've got everything?

Of course! I'm the messenger after all!

Alright, make sure that you let everyone else know. Tonight's the night we take out those guards!

Wait!

What, I thought you said you got everything?

I do, but...you said 'guards'. Does that mean the scary golden one too?

Yes, that one too.

But—but—he took out Freddy and the Captain like they were nothing! Plus he glows gold, and is really strong, and looks really scary, and—

BB, calm down. What have the Captain and I told you about being brave?

…..

…..Well?

That being brave means to stand up to things even if they are scary?

Exactly. Now run along and be ready for tonight.

Alright! Bye Mary!

….You won't survive this night Schimdt. I'll make sure of that.


	7. The Curtain Rises

"And today's top story local man, Mike Schmidt, saved Julia Nanam from her stalker, Chris Neuman. According to Nanam she had issued a restraining order on Neuman when she was 18 to stop his tendency to follow her everywhere. Neuman became unstable, cornering Nanam in an open grassland—"

Jeremy changed the channel, his hand temporarily leaving the small stack of bills in front of him.

"—Mr. Neuman was taken into custody after the police arrived on the scene. However, thanks to the heroics of Mike Schmidt, Ms. Nanam will go home with no serious injur—"

Jeremy hit the remote again.

"—this news station was lucky enough to get a short interview with the local hero, who works as a Night Guard for Fazbear Entertainment. He had this to say," the blonde woman on the screen switched to an image of Mike, black hair slightly covering his eyes in certain places, " 'I'm nothing special. Just a good samaritan who happened to be in the right place at the right time.' "

Jeremy lifted up the stack of papers in one hand while rubbing his forehead with the other, "Ok. I think I have an idea for a budget for the rest of the week." He relaxed backwards into his wooden chair, placing the papers back on the table.

He looked around at the rather shitty apartment room. They didn't really have much lining the alabaster walls of the room. Then again, it's hard to afford anything on $100.50 a week. Sure, they both get their own respective paychecks, but that's only $201.00 for one week of work! That's not even enough to afford their own car!

Jeremy stood up and walked over to their singular fridge. It was boxy and grey, filled to the brim with leftovers from the dinner at Mr. Fazbear's place. Surprisingly, the man actually ate the same pizza that they served at the restaurant. Jeremy always thought the food had tasted like feet covered in spoiled cheese, but food was food.

Pizza and plate in hand, he made his way over to the single three seat couch that took up most of the room. The lone sofa creaked a bit as he sat down, it's old age showing clear through the torn fabric.

Sighing, Jeremy took a bite out of the pizza and flicked the TV to something other than the News.

He already knew what every News Channel would be covering anyway; Mike.

From CBS to Fox 4, Mike was the name on everyone's lips. Over the course of a day, Mike had gone from just a no name Night Guard, to one of the most famous people in the city. Sure, the police could try to arrest him for technically dispensing vigilante justice, but he had turned the criminal in and had won over most of the population with his heroics. So, the police decided to let this slide.

The sound of fist hitting leather reached his ears, and Jeremy glanced at the door to Mike's Room. There wasn't much on the door, just some posters of his favorite Metal Band, Disturbed, and some old fake webs from Halloween. Mike was probably practicing with his punching bag like he did everyday at 10:00 AM. When Jeremy had asked why he did that, Mike said something about "Being prepared if those jerkass bots actually got into the room."

Jeremy scowled as he heard another New Reporter talking about Mike's Heroic action earlier today. It's not that he's jealous of Mike. Far from it, he's happy that Mike used his—whatever they were powers—for something good, instead of stealing from a bank or something. He was just….worried.

'I'm probably just overthinking things,' he always said that to himself whenever he felt like he worried about Mike a bit too much. But it was true. While, yes, they never received any kudos for the work they did, they didn't need any. Both of them were content in the fact that they knew something that no one else did. And that they were the only line of defense between the world(or at least other security guards) and….whatever those robots had planned for humanity.

But now? Now there were people who knew who Mike was, or at least knew what he looked like. Who knows what could happen? They could get swarmed by rabid fans, or what if someone notices Mike's "uniqueness" and turns him into the government? Or, what if their boss finally comes to his senses and fires them for good? Or what if—

"Hey, Jere. You OK man?" Jeremy yelped and slightly jumped out of his sleep. He turned around quickly, and relaxed as he saw Mike standing there with towel over his shoulders. His white skin, muscled yet lean, was glistening with sweat. He must've been really pushing himself in there.

Mike's hand shot back to his side, "Oh, sorry man. You just seemed to have zoned out for a second there."

Jeremy sighed and shook his head, "Yeah, sorry about that man. I was just thinking. Did you need something?"

"Actually, yeah. I wanted to ask you, since when I start to glow gold?"

"Oh since—wait a minute," Jeremy's eyes widened, "You mean you finally realized it!?"

Mike nodded, "Yeah, saw it while I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom. In fact, I remember seeing it when I was talking to this little girl earlier today. It was back at the pizzeria. When I saw my reflection in her eyes, I noticed that I had some kind of glow around me."

Mike's hand flew to his chin, and began to scratch his stubble, "At first I thought it was just a trick of the light, but come to think of it, the first time I remember seeing it was—"

"At the pizzeria," Jeremy finished for him. "It was when you were cornered by the Old Animatronics, right?"

Mike was silent for a time as his mind made sense of the new information. It didn't take long for him to put two and two together, "Oh. My. God. You thinking what I'm thinking."

Jeremy nodded.

"Those animatronics won't know what hit 'em!"

"We have to find out what this is."

"Huh?" the two men said in unison.

"What do you mean, 'won't know what hit 'em'?!"

Mike grabbed Jeremy by his shoulders, "Dude, what have we been doing the entire time we've worked at that shitty place?"

Jeremy struggled to find the right words(he had them, he just didn't want to be rude) as Mike continued, "We've been hiding from them! We've been consistently backed against a wall, most times literally, by those robotic fucks! And why?

At this point Mike's eyes had a dangerous sheen to them that made Jeremy shiver a bit.

Because we couldn't hurt them." Mike was smiling, and it reached all the way to his ears, "But now, we can hurt them. I can hurt them. Jeremy, we don't have to hide anymore. No more cowering until the clock strikes six. No more winding up that damn music box. No more being stuck in that god forsaken room! It's time we brought the fight to them."

"But what about after?!" Jeremy rarely ever yelled. People had told him that his squeaky voice made him sound like a girl. While Mike had silenced these bullies, Jeremy still did his best to keep his voice as low and deep as possible.

Now though, he was more worried about Mike than about his voice, "Even if we "bring the fight" to them, what are we supposed to do afterwards?! Mr. Fazbear will fire us for sure! He may even get the police on us, and have us arrested for property damage! What if—"

Jeremy felt a weight lift from his shoulders and a hand rubbed his hair. He looked up, and for the first time that day, got a good look at Mike's eyes.

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, and Jeremy had always been able to see Mike's since they first met. The navy blue orbs always had the haunted looks of a fighter about them, constantly sizing everyone and everything that might be a threat up. In those eyes, one would see Mike's distress, not just at the new animatronics, but at the ones where he came from as well. He had spent 7 nights with those mechanical monstrosities, and the only things between him and certain death were two metal doors. He had come across the one thing every fighter dreads; an enemy he can't just punch to death.

But, when Jeremy looked into Mike's smiling face he didn't see those eyes.

He saw golden orbs that shined brighter than the sun itself.

And suddenly, he felt at peace in Mike's presence.

He felt like everything would be alright.

For in those eyes, he saw the three traits that a fighter needs to win a battle.

Drive.

Bravery.

And Hope.

"Jere, my man, there's a saying in my time," he let Jeremy's head alone, and reached to straighten his hat, " 'Learn from the past, prepare for the future, live in the present.' And right now, what you're doing is 'worrying about the future' not preparing for it."

"Well then," Jeremy suddenly felt very small under Mike's gaze. As if he was but an ant standing next to a giant, "how should I prepare?"

"By trusting me."

Jeremy looked up at Mike, trying to find even a hint of doubt. Some little nervous twitch that would let Jeremy know that Mike felt even a tiny bit of fear at what he was proposing they do.

But he found none.

Jeremy sighed heavily, "Alright, I'm in."

The moon rose and bathed Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria in its pale light.

From the outside, the place looked completely dead. The parking lot was deserted, and there were no lights shining on the inside.

Only madmen would enter this place at night.

'Or people who want to get paid.' The Marionette thought inside of his box. He heard the front door to the establishment slam open, and smiled to himself. He had gathered the rest of the group around at 11: 30 PM to go over the plan one last time.

It wasn't a perfect meeting, Freddy and Foxy made it clear that they didn't like how they were forced to sit this one out. The Marionette understood their anger, after all Mike had hit them the hardest. Thankfully, Mr. Fazbear reached into that endless money pit of his, and was able to get them both back up to factory standard. He knew that they were both itching for a go at the Night Guard.

But they needed them to hang back for now.

If their plan was going to work, they needed the both of them in the Parts and Service room today.

Once everyone was in place, the real show could begin.

The players were ready.

The stage was set.

12:00 AM.

The curtain rises.


	8. Start the Show

“Hey, Jeremy.”

“Um, y-y-yeah Mike?”

“What’s wrong with this picture?”

“What picture?”

Mike swept his right arm around the office room.

Jeremy looked up from the camera feed, “Uh. Um. The d-dark-darkness down the halls?”

Mike shook his head while leaning back in his chair, “No, that’s always been there.”

Jeremy studied the room a bit longer, “Oh! They put a new shade of grey on the walls?!”

“No, it’s the same dull color it’s always been.”

“Um, the air is a bit less….stale?”

Mike facepalmed, “No, Jeremy. Tell me, what’s the one thing that has been a constant source of grief for us since we first took this godforsaken job?”

“Um, the Animatronics?”

Mike slammed his palm on the table, causing the whole thing to rock a bit with the force, “Yes! Exactly! Those motherfuckers haven’t even attempted to attack us yet! What the fuck is their deal tonight? What time is it anyway?”

Jeremy straightened up in his seat, and looked back at the camera. Thankfully, the music box was still wound up to full, “W-w-why is that a bad thing? Oh, and uh, 1:24 ”

“The Hell is taking so long?! Foxy should’ve been in the hallway five seconds ago! Here I was, all psyched to finally wreak my everlasting vengeance upon those fuckers, and they’re fucking flaking on me! 

Seriously, the one night I actually want to get jumped, they don’t attack me! Especially after last night, when they had the balls to come into the room three at a time? The fuck?”

Mike got up from his chair, and stomped over to the front hallway entrance. Jeremy put down the camera and held out his hand as Mike shouted, “Come on you robo-fucks! I’m right here! Come and face Justice!”

Silence was the darkness’ reply. Mike frowned, scrunching up his face as he stomped back over to his seat beside his fellow Night Guard. 

Jeremy breathe a sigh of relief and picked the tablet back up, “Well, um, how about we talk about something else? You know...to...get your mind off things?”

Leaning back in his seat, Mike pulled his hat over his eyes, “Yeah, sure. I’m all ears.”

“Ok then. Uuuuuhhhhh…” 

Both men sat in silence for sometime. They hadn’t really had any moment to just...hang out. Their schedule generally consisted of:

1\. Go to work at 12 AM.  
2\. Try not to die until 6 AM.  
3\. Stay at work until 3 PM.  
4\. Walk home and rest.  
5\. Repeat.

Naturally, much of their energy was devoted to numbers 2 and 3. As such, they never really had a moment to talk to each other about normal things that didn’t have to do with some machine trying to bite their faces off. Sports, TV, even Mike’s very existence in 1987, all took a backseat to surviving just one more night of terror. 

‘Well, what better time to change that than the present?’ Jeremy thought as he started winding the Music Box again. “Soooooo….how’s your training been going?”

“Pretty good. Beat my record yesterday.”

“Cool.”

…..

“You into boxing at all, Jere?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

…...

They both spoke in unison, “Into Warhammer 40k? 

Yes!”

Mike swiveled in his chair, smiling, “Oh man! You have no idea how good it feels to find a fellow fan boy!”

“I know right!” Jeremy quickly put down the tablet and turned in his seat, “Most people hardly even know what you’re talking about—”

“Unless you explain every little detail to them!”

“Yeah!”

“Hey, you know the tagline, right?!”

Jeremy smiled, and stood up placing his right hand over his heart, “ ‘In the grimdarkness of the 41st Millenium….’ ”

“ ‘there is Only War….’ ” Mike continued also standing up.

“ ‘....and awesomeness!’ ” both men finished, their voices ringing off the walls of the establishment. They sat back down and began to speak to each other, overjoyed to find someone who was fascinated in the same things they were.

The clock struck 2:00.

Something moved.

 

'Calm down BB. Be brave like the Captain said.'

The smallest and sneakiest of the animatronics next to the Marionette, Balloon Boy had become like a messenger among the animatronic family. His ability to get into, and out of, the office is an invaluable tool when it comes to getting at those two humans. All he needs is to get close, grab the batteries, and it’s goodbye Night Guard.

Well, that’s how it was. The little robot was about half-way down the vent by now, dragging his bulky body along despite the fact that his hands being rounded balls. 

'Just need to get in, grab the square...thing and get out.'

However, that tactic quickly went out the window when the second Night Guard showed up. When he took the batteries out of one flashlight, the other one could cover for both of them. BB was fast, but not fast enough to steal the batteries out of both of the devices at the same time. 

BB had reached the lip of the vent by now. He could here the two humans chatting and yelling about something. They both sounded angry, “I can’t believe GW let Matt Ward do that to the Space Marines!”

That was the blonde haired one, Jeremy BB remembered, but the one that he was staring at was the newest Guard. 

Mike Schmidt.

“Trust me! I’m still as angry as when I heard about it the first time!”

“GW can’t let him get away with that, can they? I mean, he just took some of the most badass dudes in the Imperium and turned them into a bunch of fucking Mary Sues!”

“You think that’s bad? Let me tell you about a little something called ‘Multilasers.’ ”

While he wasn’t sure what they were talking about, it was enough to distract them from the tablet on the desk. BB slowly reached his free arm up, carefully inching towards the device.

'Al...most...there.'

“He did what to an Eldar Farseer named Taldeer!?!”

“Tortured her for 20 straight pages for no reason. Thankfully, she shows up in the sequel to the game the book was based off of, Dark Crusade, so it’s not canon as far as the games are concerned. 

'Just…..a little...further.'

Still, what he did with to the Warhammer 40k lore is almost as bad as someone trying to steal the tablet right from under our noses.”

Got it! Wait, what did he—?

Balloon Boy felt something grip his hand, hard, and then he was off the ground hanging from Mike Schmidt’s outstretched hand. 

Mike smiled as he observed the small robot, eyes shining with fervour, “I was wondering when one of you would show up. Though to be frank, I expect Foxy or maybe that big brown fuck. Instead, it’s you,” he stretched out the word to make it sound as menacing as possible. “Not that I’m complaining.”

BB was a robot, so he didn’t necessarily grasp the idea of fear. As far as he could compute, being brave was exactly what Mary and the Captain had defined for him. As such, even though Schmidt looked at him with those cold, piercing eyes, he should’ve been able to twist out of the vice grip on his arm and grab the tablet.

But for some reason, he couldn’t move. 

All of his circuits had locked up.

He could only think of one thing.

'Captain, please help me.'

“Bro, check the Music Box. I’m gonna have a little ‘chat’ with our thief here,” Mike stood up from his chair, grinning with the idea of finally delivering justice upon one of these animatronic fucks. 

Jeremy, shaking off the shock of BB getting in the room, picked up the tablet….and froze.

Sensing his friend’s discomfort, Mike turned back over to Jeremy, “What’s wrong, mna? Foxy in the hallway?”

“No, worse.”

“That weird Golden thing is in the room?”

“Worse than that.”

“Freddy and his fuckbuddies are on the stage about to sing a horrible rendition of ‘My heart will go on.’ ?”

“No. Wait, why would…? Nevermind. No worse. The Music Box. It’s gone.”


End file.
